Chapter 3
Aleric
If nothing else, the freedom of flying high above the mountain without worry was a positive about flying across the large sea.
This was not something that I had been able to do in our homeland.
We always had to watch for others, make sure we weren’t seen shifting into our scales or flying in the skies.
True, we could fly high, up into the lower clouds at times, but we still had to be careful that we weren’t seen.
Too many had been found out and had paid the ultimate price.
We’d been here close to forty years. Sadly, my mate wasn’t here.
I’d searched the mountain shortly after we’d built a house.
My mate wasn’t anywhere nearby. After we’d settled in, I’d gone out farther searching but always came up empty.
I’d even spent a few fortnights searching around for him, but still nothing.
I’d discovered that there were humans around here and there, and there were several wolf packs and bear dens, but if my mate was one of theirs, they’d not yet been born.
I didn’t really want to think about that prospect. I didn’t mind a younger mate. It wouldn’t bother me if he was older even. I just wanted someone to hold at night. Someone to build a life with. We were here, but I didn’t feel overly drawn to the area as my fathers did.
A glint caught my eye, and I angled my wings to turn direction.
If I were in my human form, I’d smile about the cave.
If my fathers knew about it, they’d not let on.
It had become my own little sanctuary. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was somewhere that I could escape to during the hot summer nights.
I flapped my wings twice, lined up with where the mouth of the cave was, and tucked my wings. The water of the waterfall hit my snout, and then I felt the cool water run along my scales as I flew through the water and landed in the large mouth of the hidden cave.
It was happenstance that I’d discovered it at all.
I’d been out flying on a day that was incredibly windy, and the water from the waterfall happened to blow to the side somewhat.
Just enough for me to see there was a large opening behind the falling water.
I didn’t know what to expect when I first took a chance and entered the cave.
I was surprised that it was as large as it was.
It seemed to be structurally sound as well.
The best I could guess was that it was a result of years and years of water running through the rock, and a hole formed, one that grew over time to become the cave that it was.
There was enough room for me to stand up in my dragon form at the opening, but not quite when I walked farther into it.
But I could go quite a ways back into it in my human form without issue.
There was a small pool in the back that provided fresh, clean water, and I’d brought several small things here and kept them in a trunk.
I always had a fresh set of clothing and a spare blanket or two that I’d picked up on some of my trips to search for my mate.
Despite never finding my mate at any of the various places I looked, I had found places for more resources and had managed to purchase goods to bring home for our small family.
Sadly, my mate didn’t seem to be here in the new land that we’d traveled to. I never expected to move from Germany to America, but here we were.
I called for my dragon to let my human side come out, and when I felt the familiar quiver go through my body, in moments, I was standing on two human legs.
It was still cold here in the mountains, and behind the waterfall was warmer than outside of it, but I knew I would quickly chill if I didn’t get dressed and light a fire.
I wouldn’t become overly cold, but it would become uncomfortable.
I started the fire, then went to the trunk and pulled out a set of clothing as well as a blanket.
I folded it, placed it on the bed I’d made out of twine and small logs I’d brought into the cave, and lay down to stare up at the rock ceiling.
The fire threw shadows along the ceiling, and I quickly became mesmerized by them.
I’d spent many nights here, wondering about what my life would end up being like. Never did I think it would be as it had turned out. I had grand ideas that we would be coming to a place that had many other shifters and I would find my mate among them. Alas, that wasn’t how it was.
Did I regret coming here with my fathers?
No. My dragon had said we were doing the right thing, that Feiedrich was going to become more of an issue because of his unexplainable obsession with Da.
It was possible he was attracted to men, such as myself and obviously my fathers.
But it didn’t seem quite that simple. There was more to it. Something a little bit…not quite right.
I wasn’t sure what the future would bring.
We never did. Our future was up to whatever fate had in store for us.
I would hope that I wouldn’t be skipped, that I would someday find my own fated mate and have children, but I knew dragons and most certainly some wolves that didn’t ever find theirs.
They’d gone through life never finding that perfect someone for themselves and died after many, many years, alone and often bitter.
I didn’t wish that on anyone, and I hoped that I wasn’t destined for such a future.
I rolled over, now staring directly at the flames, and let my dragon come forward a bit.
I had long ago been taught to trust him, to always let him guide me through life.
I had listened to that advice and had always found myself safe and not having to worry about making choices that weren’t right for either of us.
I closed my eyes, listening to my dragon and letting his thoughts course through my mind.
A calmness came over me, one that I only ever experienced when I was in my scales.
Life was so much simpler when you were a dragon.
We flew with our powerful wings, hunted for food, and it was very rare that we were challenged by others.
One did not simply take on a dragon and walk away unscathed.
I saw myself flying in the sky, high above the ground. As I looked down, the land below changed from green to brown to green, and then there was water. I’d flown over the lake at the base of the mountain many times. But this wasn’t the lake. It was larger than that, and I had seen it before.
My dragon’s head lifted, looking for my fathers, but they weren’t with me.
I was flying over the sea solo, gliding along with the winds this time.
I was flying to a place yet unknown, but my dragon was pushing that I needed to be somewhere, that it was important.
I flew to the large island that we’d stopped at so long ago, and after a day’s rest, my dragon wouldn’t be denied any longer.
Once more, I set out to what I now realized was our homeland.
I was flying back to Germany, unsure why but trusting my dragon all the same.
I flew over the terrain that long ago had been somewhat familiar.
My dragon seemed to know where he was needed, and I let him lead, going where he took me.
We landed not far from a castle, one from a family with obvious great wealth because of the size and number of men that could be seen walking along the top walkway.
My dragon seemed hesitant as to which way was best to get inside, but he knew he absolutely needed to be inside. Our future lay inside those walls, and my dragon wouldn’t be denied what was ours.
In through the front door, the wooden door was not much of a match for my dragon’s massive head.
It was brightly lit inside, there were several torches along the walls, but that wasn’t the only thing my dragon noticed.
There were several people here, but with them, there were omegas.
I didn’t scent any alphas, and that had my dragon pushing for me to find the omegas and see to them.
I followed my dragon’s instincts, and when I got to a narrower hallway, I saw a familiar yet unknown figure.
Feiedrich had aged and not well. He looked old, worn, and in his last years, if not moments.
When he raised a sword toward me, called out in our native tongue for others to get the dragon, I let out a loud cry and a burst of my dragon’s fire.
Wailing screams were cut short as the humans’ bodies were no match for my dragon’s flame.
I called out once again, then walked down the walkway.
When more men armed with swords that were no match for my scales came up behind me, a swipe of my massive and powerful tail ended their advance.
The wall crumbled at the strength of my hit, but I couldn’t be concerned with that at the moment. I was searching for the omegas.
I walked to the end of the hallway, and a door that was locked stood between me and something that called to me.
There was the scent of magic, but not kind magic here.
I didn’t pay it any mind and simply pushed against the door with my powerful head.
I moved in as much as I could, then froze when my dragon’s eyes met the bluest ones I’d ever seen in my life.
Crystal-blue eyes were staring back at me from across the room. My dragon stirred more, pushing me to go into the room and claim what was ours. Mate.
I woke with a start, immediately reaching for someone who wasn’t there.
I sat up, looking around the cave, and noticed the fire had gone out.
A quick glance toward the cave opening showed darkness beyond the water.
It had been hours that I’d been inside here.
That wasn’t uncommon, and my fathers never questioned my whereabouts.